I have been taking a "wheel basics" class for 2 weeks now. I am having the hardest time with coning up and squishing it back down into the hockey puck-esque shape I don't know if I'm holding my arms wrong or gripping too tight or what. I'm kind of on a time crunch as we only get to throw for 5 weeks and have to have something to trim and glaze by week six. I keep getting told different methods by the studio teachers, and I am getting so confused.
The first method we have been told to do is to secure your left hand in your hip, slide the clay up with your hands cupped, then lock your thumbs together, place your left palm on the side, and slowly karate-chop the tower down with your right hand. in this method I always have a large "skirt" and waste so much clay i cannot form a properly sized puck. maybe this does not work for me because I am not left handed?
The second method is to slide the clay up, then use your left hand as a paddle, and grip your left thumb with your right hand like a joystick and squish it down with your left palm. with this method the cone effectively falls sideways and slaps my hand/wrist as it goes down and does not actually form a shape.
What recommendations do you have for successfully coning up? What am I doing wrong?